Numerical Simulation of Tracking Modes for Compound Parabolic Collector With Tubular Receiver

Correct placement of solar collectors is one of the important parameters for maximum utilization of heat radiated by the sun. Compound parabolic collector (CPC) with low acceptance angle needs frequent tracking to collect the maximum amount of solar radiation. The number of tracking depends on the location of CPC with respect to the sun position throughout a day. This study is executed to investigate the amount of solar incident flux falls on the reflector of the CPC by the implementation of five different tracking modes. The numerical analysis is performed on CPC geometry with the 50 number of possible orientations for five tracking modes and 10 h. These results are compared with theoretical results for validation purpose. It is observed that mode 3, mode 4, and mode 5 give more solar heat flux but offers more complexity in mounting and tracking as is compared to mode 1 and mode 2. Also, the shading effect of receiver tube on the heat flux distribution is presented which would reduce the optical efficiency.